The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-07-28

sailors lips. And hardly was the deed
done when Captain Carver Numbered
out:
'.Man overboardi Hard down the
/ wheel-h0rd DOWN. Aft here to the
boat, three or four of you! Mr.. GrieI
let fly head sheets! Brace abaek the
after yards~
Knowing a second later that Casey
was the missing man, and never sus-
| pecting the ruse, four sailors rushed
aft, the quarter boat was swung Out
board, and three minutes later It was
cleaving the water toward the spot
where Casey's head could be plainly
seen in the moonlight.
But scarcely was the boat twenty
feet away, before Captain Carver,
drawing the heavy pistol from his
breast. sprang to the break of the
quarter. At the same moment, in obe-
dience to his order, rapidly shifted
the wheel.
Now, Mr.. Grier!" And then fol-
lowed the stern commands to trim
down the head sheets and round in the
yards.
''Pll shoot the first man of you that
refuses duty like dogp shouted the
now thoroughly excited captain-and
the three remaining scoundrels saw
that the game was up.
In less time than I have taken to
write it, the yards were braced in, and
the ship, heading her course, was Ieav-
ing the boat far astern.
Brock, Bill Matthews and Fox were
sternly ordered to step forward. Cap
tain Carver's remarks 10 them were
brief and to the point The first look
or sign of characterization would be
punished with short shrift. Their
scoundrelly companions would prob
ably escape to be hung. On arrival
the trio would be handed over to the
authorities. Go for'ardi
When, on the following morning,
Tafy was made second officer, Tom
and were speechless with astonish-
ment and indignation. And short
handed as we were, we had double
duty to do for the rest of the passage,
which naturally increased our hard
feelings toward him. So that as far
as We dared, we both showed our re-
sentiment in very marked manner,
thus making his Office trebly difficult.
Fortunately we were favored with
good weather, and a leading breeze
which followed the ship almost into
New York harbor. Here the three
sailors managed to slip over the side
into the tugbOat and get off safely. /
afterward heard that the boat contain
ing the others was picked up bottom
up by the Oceanica.
Tafy stayed by the ship till her re-
turn passage. Tom and 1 drifted
away from each other in different ships
and two years later joined a small,
swift sailing English fruiting schooner,
bound from Liverpool to the Western
Islands, as mate.
On the night of December %, 1861,
the schooner took the ground near
Aberdovey in st. Georges Channel
and was driven over the bar into shoal
water. with an ebbing tide and an
awful sea running. The masts went
by the board, and with them three of
the five men composing our entire
ships company. Jim Trefethern shook
hands with me and started to swim to
the rocks only cables length distant.
His battered body was recovered by
the coast guard next day.
My left arm was broken by n swing
of the main boom, but / managed to
lash myself to the stump of the main
mast, and benumbed with the drench-
ing seas and icy blast, lay in half
stupefied condition. My only hope
was that could hold out till morning
with possibility of being rescued by
the coast guard.
But gradually numbness of the ex-
tremities was followed by the terrible
torpOr which knew was a prelude to
perishing of cold and exhaustion.
Vainly l fought against it, till it seemed
ct last that must yield.
But, just as the first glimner of the
gray dawn broke through the fog. I
heard a distant shout. Raising my
head, could make out through the
driving mist and spray that a large
life-boat had safely passed the surf
line and was steering directly for the
stern Of the wrecked schooner, which
was fast breaking up.
But the tide had ebbed so much that
the boats deep draught would not
permit of nearer approach. Round
ing to under her rag of sail, an an
later three or four men in cork jack
cts and the cumbersome-looking rig of
the crew of an English life-boat
leaped oyer the side with lifeline.
''Hold on a bit longer, matey,"
cheerily sang out the one who took
the lead, and just conscious enough
to recognize Taffy's voice, was trans
ferred from the wreck to the anchored
life-boat, where a dose of raw spirits
poured down my throat brought back
the ebbing life to my frame.
An hour later, my arm was being
set by surgeon as lay in my warm
nest of blankets in the only public
house in A6erdovey village, while
Taffy, whose weather-beaten young
face glowed with pleasure, sat by my
side. firing of merchant service he
had chosen a more precarious one as
one of the crew of the Aberdovey
life-boat nearly two years previous.
''It's with all th'hardship I've been
through just to ha' been head one in
savin' of you, Harry. l allus liked
you for all you took offense WI me,
said the honest fellow, as we shook
hands at parting on the following
morning.
you've shown me what returning
good for evil means, anyway, Taffy,"
said. And he had.-GolCleT1 Argosy.